to add a layer or not to layer....that is the question!

The reason this was a challenge is because at each stage of the painting I was so tempted to call it done!  I had to take the risk of ruining all that I had done and just hope that I liked the next layer better than the one I had just finished.  I am glad that I kept going and next time I probably need to push even further.  The trend in painting now, from what I have seen, is obsessively patterned and spattered images.  For me there is a fine line between complexity and just too much.  I am basically a simple soul. Not simple minded, hear, hear!

So this is this week's painting.  I am calling it, "Metro Girls".
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Who Knew????

This year has been a great year in my studio!  I have participated in two internet classes that have been exercising and honing my skills.  This piece is for a challenge to paint like John Sanger Sargent.

Now, Sargent, is by far one of my most respected idols.  His portrait work just blows me away (highly technical art verbiage).  I know this piece would probably have Sargent rolling over in his grave but I kind of like it.  It  has nothing in common with my other work but it was a great project to tackle.

Who knew...that I would ever do a 'formal' standing portrait of a male?  I think maybe I should do more (hmmmm).  To be honest, I was really looking for a picture of an old man in overalls to fit in with my 'style in Tennessee', and my sense of humor, but I settled for college boy instead.  Maybe next time a farmer....who knows....

This week...

I am looking rather crazy these days 'stylewise'....Normally I work on a series, but this year I have taken a year off to just explore.  I enrolled in a couple classes to make myself try new things and it has been a very productive year so far.  The classes have really refreshed my viewpoint, honed some skills, and let me see what is happening in that big internet art world out there. Now it is almost time to start another series.  I have until the first of next year (self determined) to decide on a theme for the next series. The hard part of doing a series is that one wants to do something different than what is currently being done.  Hmmmm, working on it, that is all I can say for now.

The above picture was this weeks assignment in a class that I am taking..have a blessed week!....bye

Everything is Coming Up Roses!

This week's exercise was roses!  Now, I love roses as much as the next girl so I had to go for it.  A 'pretty' stylized face, even made it onto the piece.  Not my usual style but it was really fun to create.  Maybe I will let this lady visit my village with all the imaginary characters.  She would like it there!  This is in my fancy journal (see below) so it will be in my book maybe forever.







The picture below will give you an idea where the new series is going.  Spirituality is always the theme in my work.  Fences are appearing along with the ladders, so we shall see where this journeys.  Think I need to lighten up the colors a little, as they are a bit intense.  Must be an intense time in my life.  Nahhhh.....

"Silencing the Mind"

This was an exercise in being expressive.  That is second nature to me when I paint, so I LOVED doing this.  I probably tightened it up a little too much.

I am titling this piece, "Silencing the Mind".  A special friend inspired it. She is a very spiritual, prayerful, and powerful embodiment.  So, this is in honor of her.

The colors in this piece are rather unusual but I do love to push the boundaries.  They work, I think, I hope...... :-).,......di

the good news, the bad news.....

The bad news is I had hoped to have at least 24 portraits done by this time, this year.  The good news is I have 12.  Can't be too hard on myself: knee replacement, tons of company, put up two shows, etc.  Life is life and I have to admit that I have painted some other paintings since the first of the year also...SOOO..I love me, cutting some slack, and keeping on, keeping on...  These are all inspired by different techniques so they are quite varied, which of course, is a good thing and a bad thing...hmmmmm

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.....

I am in a 'class' in which we are being challenged to create art pieces that are in our own 'style' but inspired by a master artist.  For the month of September we are doing Botticelli.  Of course, he is out of the Renaissance Period, where perfection and symmetry were revered.  I immediately thought of his great work "Primavera (Spring)" which has the three graces dancing in it.  NOW.... in my work, perfection is not found, I chose instead to revere wisdom, aging, and sisterhood...so that is where I went in a different direction.

The title of my piece is "Inverno" which is Italian for winter and I celebrate the later stages in life.  My figures are not elongated, nor perfection, yet they are kind and wise.  I stayed with a muted color palette referencing a later stage in life and Botticelli's three graces palette.  I chose not to make the women old but just more mature and less idealized.  In this piece I celebrate the ties that bind, the cords that interweave, and the connection among the sisterhood.

My 'style' utilizes simple shapes, layered color, and a narrative approach.  Hopefully, you can see a little of Botticelli's influence in there.

Thanks for listening.....Di

#11 of the "Crones"

This 'crone' is basically charcoal with a paint overlay.  Really like the effect.

This is number eleven and I think I want 20, all with different approaches and styles.  Then I will show them all together in a big block.  I probably need to do some men and am having a 'hankering' to do some seated portraits.  We shall see.

Have another painting in the works that is a tongue in cheek piece.  Will post when done.

later....too busy to chat today!

Several projects, finished up today....

There are days when I don't think I am getting anything done because I work on multiple pieces at a time.  Then there are days when several pieces complete in a day!  This is one of those days.  These three are still drying from the finishing varnish and I still have to sign the top one-but this is a day when I feel like I am progressing.  Time is not a factor, I have no deadlines in the near future so I do not know why there is a compulsion to produce.....it just is there in my soul to create....who knows!

My 'fancy' sketchbook

So, this is my 'fancy' sketchbook in which I do images that are just for challenging myself.  It is 11"x 14" so it is large for a sketchbook.  This page I wanted to do something pretty.  In one of the classes I am participating in,  everyone does such beautiful women faces and I do real (mostly old) people.  This particular lesson was on using gold foil which of course I could not get on smoothly but what the heck!  My face in reality is not as good as a lot of the people but it is my style and my husband loves it.  So that counts for something....

This sketchbook is kind of treated as a journal, but I tend to obsessively finish the pages, a journal should probably be looser. I am in no hurry so I sporadically work in it.  You can see the opposite page above is totally different from the pretty Madonna.  Sometimes, I am tempted to cut out a page and frame it BUT I have not allowed myself to do that yet. It is a 'collection'!

close up of above "Madonna"

 Here is a glimpse inside of my sketchbook...all mediums, all techniques and lots of experimentation....

My Voice, my story....

It is my personal belief that an artist speaks through his work.  This piece really hits me hard as it is a reaction/reply to the times in which we are living.  The blue orb in my work is always about the higher spirit and I feel in these times we are falling apart as a society and as a nation.  So this piece is about protecting the spirit, the good, and surviving the turmoil we find ourselves in at the moment.  I feel it very deeply, hopefully, you can feel it also.

Something a little less 'formal'

The activity for an online class that I am taking.  is doing a scribble drawing for this week.  Now, of course it is suppose to be black and white with a little wash of color-did I ever tell you that I am not good at following directions??.  This is my take on a scribble drawing/painting and is part of my cronies series.  "My Cronies" now has 9 portraits finished and I want a total of 30 portraits and then additional larger pieces...so it may take a while.  I am a tortoise apparently.  So, here is number 9.

Must be a REALLY GOOD FRIEND!

This is for a really good friend as I do not usually do formal portraits because they are hard and I do not do them enough to be really good at them.!  My hat is off to portrait artists and I would love to be able to paint like John Singer Sargent (one of my idols, if you can be an idol after you are dead???).  I worked on this, on and off for two weeks and it is only about 8x10.  All in all, I have to admit I am proud of it as it looks just like her and I am basically happy with it.  Will I do another any time soon? NO.....

So, in 30 some years I have done one formal portrait and one landscape.  Maybe I need to expand my horizons.....hmmmm...nah...di

When is a piece finished?

The are things that are really right about this piece and there are a couple of things that are not perfect!  When do you stop and say done?  If you continue to work on the piece, sometimes you loose the freshness of the work and it becomes overworked and stale.   I am electing to call this one done for now and in a couple of weeks I may (but hopefully not)... may do some touch ups.

I am calling this, "There are Worlds within Us".  The work I am doing right now is going to be disjointed until I happen upon a series/idea I want to pursue.  Different techniques, subject matter, and colors, are going to appear.

I am struggling to find what's next, but I will know it when it comes around the bend....

Fun Day

Today was a play day and I had fun creating this face...I always start off intending to make a pretty face and then I get carried away...pretty is so over rated!  I was intending to do an encaustic (wax) finish on it but am not sure because of storing issues...we shall see....

"Unlocked Revelations"

This piece is a response to a theme of shields/defense systems that we use to protect ourselves personally.  I do not think of myself using a wall or shield but I do see myself keeping safe by using locked doors that are only opened for people who have been vetted as safe for me to show my true spirit/heart.

It would be a perfect world that we could just be 'open books' without fear of judgement and critical summaries.  However, that is not the way of the world and I will choose to be selective in whom I unlock doors and invite in.  (that is somewhat of an oxymoron as I do open up on this blog, but you are invisible to me and deemed safe! hmmmm).

Anyway, this is this week's piece and is a reworked canvas that I could never resolve.  Now, it is done......

All week, just one small piece!

So, it took me an entire week to do this one 11x14" piece!  That is not normal for me and I am not even sure if I like it.  Oh well, I am trying to stretch myself and do new things, but as is human nature, I want to go back to my usual way.  It is not easy to change perspectives and/or habits.  Give me a month or two and I will decide if this is a great, mediocre, or terrible piece.  Here it is, never the less, for you to make your own decision.

One of my favorite sayings is,  my job is to create the art...it is the job of others to judge it....

So judge away...

New Knee and I am back.....

Had a knee replacement done not quite 3 weeks ago and this is the first piece I have done since then.  'Vulnerable', was a word theme in one of the online classes I am taking and that immediately brought forth an image to my mind that I knew I had to capture.

Having spent the last 19 days progressing from a walker to a cane, I wanted to pay homage to the vulnerability of health and age.  Unfortunately, this really only looks a little like me...looks younger, but hey!.. I think it captures the feeling, thoughts, and resignation of aging.  My friends say I paint myself looking too old anyway.  (I also was referred to as 'elderly' this week....what a week!)

Anyway, I really love this image and hope you enjoy it.

FYI- Show is up until end of July...

Solo show- a Great Success...thank you!

I have no idea how these pictures  will rearrange themselves when I hit publish...but here they are.  It was a lovely show and a great joy for me to be able to show this series as a whole.  The turn out was wonderful, the food was great and I think everyone had a great time.  Being able to show your work after having it stacked up in the studio, and hearing how people react to the work is so gratifying.  We artists live for the moment.  Our egos puff up and the creative juices are pumped and ready to go again.  Thanks to everyone who came and to those of you that attended in spirit.  I love you all.  NOW,  Monday am, a knee replacement....ugh

 

Recycling fun....

Found an old unfinished painting in a closet upstairs while looking for who knows what!  The canvas was at least 10 years old so I have learned a couple new things along the way.  Updating the subject matter, enhancing the composition, and exploring what the painting wanted to say was fun and now it is done!

My theme/interests through the years seem to stay the same, as I am always drawn to the spiritual.  Happy places draw me in. This piece has no official title but has to do with releasing your blessings and giving thanks.

Blessings....
di

imaginary likeness...easy

People never like a picture of themselves especially women.  One paints a portrait and everyone but the person it is of, recognizes them!  Frustrating....but I keep telling myself doing portraits is for my growth as a painter and I will not let silly little things get me down.  However, I just did an imaginary face with some layering to complex the piece up and I really like it.  So, I will share it with you-it is only 9x12, a jewel for fun.....

Oh, the details....

So now it is time to make sure everything is signed, glazed, framed, documented....yeah, like the fun stuff (NOT)...However, complaining aside, it is so nice to have "The Village" pieces ready for the two upcoming solo shows.

Of course, I am in the artistic-hating-not satisfied with my work mode- but I know from experience that when I see them all hanging I will be proud and happy.

What next?  I need to find some more venues to show this series, work on my portraits of my Cronies, and I have some images in my head of where I want to go with my next series of work. Sketchbook time!!!!

FYI...just for inquiring minds, it took me close to two years to put this "Village" series of 25 pieces together.  As they say-Rome was not built in a day.....

first four portraits

These are the first four of my
"Crones" series... (crone=friend)...and what I have discovered is that I will never be a portrait artist!  I am attempting to do representational paintings of friends but none of them have been -spot on-....oh well, it is good practice and each week the class I am taking gives us a different approach/technique to use...so like medicine-it is good for me.  I actually enjoy doing these, I just get frustrated when I can't get them exactly accurate...but of course being me, I only give it one shot instead of persisting until I am satisfied...onward

Working on final 'Village" piece

This piece is 3'x4' and will be the final piece in "The Village" series, I have been working on.  The title of it will probably be Community as it incorporates a lot of the characters I have created in the past two years.  There are about 24 works in the series so I now have a packaged show.  The series will be shown in two solo shows this year and hopefully, I will find some other venues.

My next series is going to be a spiritual woman series and I am planning on it being much more textural and loose.   In a creative trip one never knows where life will take them, but I have to say that the journey so far has been a great ride!  The portraits I have been doing of friends, I will continue to do as they are good technical practice for me.

Hang in there with me and thanks for viewing my blog and following my path of creativity with me. I am solitary in my studio pretty much and your viewing my ramblings means a lot to me.   di

Overworked Piece...but I did it

Only 48 more portraits to go in the online class I am taking.  This week we were suppose to practice glazing for fun on a drawing of a face.  I, of course, have to make life difficult and decided to do the faces of  friends  (with no guarantees it will look like them).   I massively overworked this piece but next week will be better.  It is not terrible and does have a resemblance to her.  I am calling this one "K", as her first name begins with K.  For the rest of the week I am working on a 3'x4' piece for the Village show.  Will show that as I get further along.  TaTa .....

OLD CRONIES....

I am taking an online class, "Let's Face It 2017", in which for 52 weeks we will be doing a face a week.  This week was introduced by a guest instructor and we did glazing on top of a monochromatic painting.  I have always wanted to try this technique as it is what the old masters did. I had a really great time trying this procedure out.  The process is slow but if you build up slowly over time, you will have a really stellar piece. (Which I will do in the near future). ...So-  most everyone else in the class is doing pretty faces but I want to do 'mature' faces.  I have put out a call to friends, old in friendship and a little old in timeline, and hope to do most of them during this year.  I see a show coming up titled--"Old Cronies"....stay tuned....

Back on the right road again....

Just finished this piece for my "Village" series.  The title is A Walk in the Village, am I clever or what?  So that is all the discourse for today, just sharing....Di

Reworking, tweaking....

Not my usual style but what I am working towards ...BUT  (note to self) I have to get the present stuff together and looking right so it looks like a  cohesive body of work.  This face is done over a piece that I never liked and I am glad I 'went for it'....it is much more interesting now.   Back to work....

My World....

As I have mentioned, I have a solo show coming up in April and have been assembling the pieces I want to put in it.  This picture is a recently completed work (as in today) and I consider it my intro into the show.  I titled it, "Welcome, to my World", and it represents me in color and some of my imaginary characters being created in black and white.  The orbs as always represent the 'gift of Life' and for me will never be black and white.  Life is real and such a joyous gift.  Though the face is somewhat realistic, I just can not go without excessive color and brushwork.

Now I have to do drudge work as in painting the edges black on all the pieces, photographing, etc....blah, blah, blah, oh well- such is life.

PS  yes, I do look this old and I am embracing it....do not mind at all...

Hibernating and Working....

This is the first piece I have sewn in a very long time....about a year I think.  It is for a group activity and it only took me 3times before I got a square I liked!  I had to take a break from the textiles but now I am invigorated and ready to go again.

I am so glad that the Holiday season is over, although I did enjoy the festivities.  BUT NOW...I can get back to a schedule and be creative.
Which is what I like to do best.  I am still painting and have two solo shows coming up in the spring and summer so that in itself takes some time and preparation work.  

Hopefully, I will be posting lots of stuff in the near future.  Have two unfinished paintings waiting in line and a lot of ideas swirling in my head.  So,  I AM BACK.....see ya

New Show Scheduled

Just scheduled my first show of 2017.  I will be doing a solo show at the Etowah Art Center from April thru July of 2017.  The show will feature my 'Village" series, so I think it will be awesome!!

This is my newest piece and though it looks large it is really only 9x12".  I think it is a fun piece and hopefully people will like it.

This is the time of year that things go crazy so I am having to clear activities out of the way so that I have enough studio time.  Get cranky if I do not have my studio time.  I think artists are better off as hermits so that they can devote time to their craft.   Having said that, I am going to get back to work....ta, ta----

Play Days...

Went on a mixed media frenzy!  These are 4"x6" on paper little drawings.  Wanted a few free days before I committed to a larger piece and small little studies always bring out the creative side of one's self. This was two days work and I actually have one more but that made me not have a pretty presentation so you only get to see nine.  Tomorrow is a movie day and then Tuesday a meeting day BUT Wednesday I paint again.

 See ya..... Di

Inner Cities...

This is a 24"x 36" painting in the smokestack series..(maybe by the end of it, I will be able to paint smoke better...argh)...the idea behind the piece is how the city affects the city youth and the mentoring needed, solutions to the crime, crowding, biases, etc..in the cities.  I think my soul has been wretched watching all the killings in Chicago and other big towns.  It is a reactive piece to what is going on in our own backyards.  Have to admit I am figuring out my own thoughts, as I go along with these paintings.  Thanks for sharing the journey with me....di

Working on loosening up....

The title of this piece is, "I See You", and I am working on painting intuitively and going crazy.  It is all in hopes of getting looser and out of my lines.  Several people have gasped when I told them I thought I needed to loosen up but I really do.  I love shapes and kind of want to stay in the lines. However, that is really not a good thing....so here is to letting things fly--

We are Spirit....

This is my newest piece and it is titled, "We Are Spirit".  The blue/turquoise orbs are my symbol for our spirit, life force, soul, or core, and are my constant reminder to revere our being and our temporary walks upon this planet.  The floating bars are portals and represent the path we take by making choices and decisions.  This is part of the series I have been working on called- "The Village".
 

You can see from the group picture that 'The Village' is a happy, mystical place.
Hopefully, these paintings make you smile and want to make you visit.

The imagination is a powerful place......

Doing some smalls....

Doing a couple of smalls (9x12, 8x10) before I start a large piece.  Smalls are fun because they are pure play...This particular one has the most beautiful colors in it.  Hard to tell from a photo but it is really rich looking....Scrumptious...

Back to work.....oh, this is titled, "Geisha in the Garden"

Hmmmmm....

Not sure why I have a fascination with smoke stacks at the moment. But apparently, I am in the the process of a smokestack series.   My concern is that they are not current or a reflection of our times. Perhaps, in  the unfolding of the series, it will begin to relate with today.  Every current thing I think of is filled with anger, crisis, and conflict.  That, in my opinion, is not a good thing.....

 My main objective is just to keep painting and hopefully, by they time I have painted a thousand, I will be a master....and left my voice.

On to my next canvas and trying to figure out what to paint that connects to our time.